Central America: Unclogging Contra AID

More than two months after Congress approved $27 million in nonmilitary, “humanitarian” assistance to help Nicaragua’s contra rebels in their fight against the Sandinista government, money is finally flowing to the insurgents. As of last week the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Assistance Office, which was set up by the Reagan Administration to distribute the funds, had dispensed $400,000 in aid. But rebel leaders are complaining that supplies, such as food, clothing and medicine, are still not reaching their troops. As a result, they claim, some guerrilla units have had to abandon their hit-and-run war against the Sandinistas.

The aid pipeline has been clogged by delays in setting up the assistance office. Also, the program was embarrassing to the government of Honduras, which claims it does not harbor contras, even though several bases are located there. The Hondurans have been placated by the decision not to allow the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa to distribute the aid. Says Adolfo Calero, head of the largest rebel group, the Nicaraguan Democratic Force: “We have very little. It is a good time for the aid to come.”